Pablo Picasso’s US$70 Million Painting Gets Damaged Just Before Going On Sale

A US$70 million Picasso portrait has been withdrawn from an auction after it was “accidentally damaged.”

According to Christie’s auction house, the masterpiece called Le Marin or The Sailor, was scheduled for auction in New York on 15 May. Unfortunately, it was reportedly damaged during the final stages of preparation.

“Two outside conservators have now been consulted and have made recommendations for the successful restoration of the painting,” Christie’s said in a statement.

After consulting the consignor, the painting will be withdrawn to allow the restoration process to begin. However, no further details were given as to how the damage had occurred.

The painting belongs to former casino magnate Steve Wynn. This is not the first time a Picasso piece owned by Wynn has been damaged. Wynn accidentally elbowed Picasso’s 1932 Le Reve while showing it off to guests in 2006.

Christie’s has also released a statement assuring that the company has “high standard of care for objects” and that it has taken several measures to remedy the situation.